Devil's Taunt and Other Stories

by Percival Constantine

  Jeff looked up at Wayne and Luther while he waited for Sangres’ response. He appeared relieved when the silence was broken on the other end. “Yes, of course, sir.” Jeff hung up the phone and came out from behind the desk to meet Luther and Wayne. “Please follow me, I’ll take you to see Mr. Sangres.”

  He escorted them into a back area and down a corridor to a door with GENERAL MANAGER engraved on a plate affixed to the surface. Jeff knocked a few times and Sangres opened the door. When Sangres saw Luther, he turned a questioning glance to Wayne. “Who is this, Detective?”

  Luther removed his glasses and stared into Sangres’ eyes with his crimson ones. “Detective Luther Cross, vice.” Luther held up his business card but instead of LUTHER CROSS – PARANORMAL INVESTIGATOR, Sangres saw a detective’s badge.

  Sangres opened the door to his office wide enough for the two men to enter. He glared at Jeff, spouting, “Back to work,” before closing the door. Sangres circled behind his desk and sat in the large, plush chair. Luther and Wayne remained standing and Sangres didn’t even bother offering them a seat.

  “What does vice have to do with this?” asked Sangres.

  “We have reason to believe that Nina Bailey was an escort,” said Luther.

  “If she was, as I told Detective Cooper, I knew nothing about it.”

  “Nice hotel here. Lots of wealthy business types coming in and out on business. Might want a way to blow off some steam.” Luther fixed his eyes on Sangres’. “Say a guy calls you up from his room, says he’d like some female companionship. What do you do?”

  Sangres steepled his fingers together, elbows resting on his armrests. “I’d tell him that Chicago has quite the nightlife. Recommend some good bars, perhaps direct him to the clubs on Rush Street, that sort of thing.”

  “And if he’s not interested in going out? Or in a more…unique experience?”

  Sangres shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Detective.”

  “I think you do.” Luther’s eyes hummed with the demonic powers in his possession. “And I think you know exactly how Edward Van Sloan and Nina Bailey were introduced.”

  Sangres’ eyes glazed over, staring into empty space. When he spoke, his voice was very monotone. “He said he’d heard of a special type of service. Girls who will provide services that would completely blow his mind. Girls he couldn’t find anywhere else.”

  “What kind of girls?” asked Luther.

  Sangres paused for a second. Luther wondered if the effect was fading, but he could see from the look in Sangres’ eyes that the man himself wasn’t quite sure of the answer. “I’ll ask again—what are these girls?”

  “It sounds ridiculous…” Sangres began, “…but they’re vampires. Or at least they claim they are.”

  “The service, what’s it called?” asked Luther.

  “Lifeline. We have an arrangement with them.”

  “Ever been an incident with one of their girls before?” asked Wayne.

  “Once. A girl from the agency said a guest fainted. She left immediately, he required a blood transfusion.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Sangres.” Luther slid his sunglasses back on and looked up at Wayne. “We’re done here.”

  Sangres blinked a few times, the cloud lifting from his mind. His bewildered gaze lingered on Luther and Wayne. “Done? You didn’t even ask me any questions. Why did you bother coming here? Just to waste my time?”

  “Have a good day, Mr. Sangres.” Luther let himself out of the office and Wayne followed behind. They returned to the lobby and then out the front door and Luther lit a cigar.

  “Vampire escorts.” Wayne scoffed. “Thought that werewolf was crazy. Now I’ve seen everything.”

  “Trust me, you haven’t,” said Luther. “Be thankful.”

  “Ever hear of this Lifeline thing?”

  Luther shook his head. “Concept’s not that new, though. People paying vampires to drain some of their blood. They get a high better than any orgasm, vampires get a steady supply of fresh blood and some cash. Heard of it in a few places.”

  “So what now? Want me to try and find who runs Lifeline?”

  “Not worth the effort. The hunter probably heard about them online. That incident Sangres told us about may have been what made him choose this hotel. Going after Lifeline’s a dead end for the moment. Instead, better to focus on the hunter.”

  “How’re you gonna look into that?” asked Wayne.

  “I’ve got a source I can talk to,” said Luther. “Give you a call when I find something.”

  * * *

  Luther entered the St. John Orthodox church, walking over to the candles and sliding a dollar into the donation box. He took a votive candle and lit it, placing it in a container of sand before an icon of the Virgin Mary. He removed his sunglasses and stared into the face in the portrait.

  “Every time you come here, I see you light a candle. Who is it for?”

  Luther stepped away from the icon and turned around to see a man in his sixties with short, gray hair, black robe, and a priest’s collar. “Father Karras, good to see you.”

  Jacob Karras held up his hand and Luther took it in his own, kissing the knuckles. “I haven’t seen you in some time, Luther.”

  “Been busy.” Luther sat in the front pew, looking up at the domed ceiling of the church.

  Jacob sat beside him. “We both know that’s a lie. You only ever show up here when you need something of me.”

  “Not much point for me to come here otherwise,” said Luther. “You know how I came into this world, know how I was raised. After a man’s been through what I have, makes faith seem a little…” He allowed his voice to trail off.

  “Ridiculous?” asked Jacob.

  Luther smirked. “You said it, not me.”

  “Very well,” said Jacob. “So what’s on your mind?”

  “I need to know if you’ve heard anything about a vampire hunter coming through town.”

  Jacob’s eyes rolled up as he thought about it. After a moment, he said, “I don’t think so.”

  “You sure?”

  “I wouldn’t lie to you, Luther,” said Jacob. “Why are you interested in a vampire hunter?”

  “A vampire was decapitated in Trump Tower, an escort,” said Luther. “He carved a cross into her forehead after he was done.”

  Jacob performed the sign of the cross on his body.

  “Hunters have a tendency to be violent fanatics. They cause a mess wherever they go and usually end up hurting some innocent people,” said Luther. “I don’t want anyone turning my city into a bloodbath.”

  “Of course, I understand.”

  “Keep an ear and an eye out, tell me if you hear anything,” said Luther.

  Jacob nodded. Luther noticed the gold cross around the priest’s neck and reached out for it. Each end of the cross had a trefoil cap and it had the letters IC XC NIKA carved in the caps.

  “Baptismal cross,” said Jacob. “The script means ‘Jesus Christ conquers.’ You see the carvings around the trefoil and the interior of the cross? It’s something of a signature for this church.”

  Luther let go of the cross and shook his head as he stood. “Sure he does.”

  “It surprises me that a man such as you can remain so faithless,” said Jacob. “You fight the forces of evil, you’ve faced the foot soldiers of Hell, and yet you refuse to accept the Lord’s love.”

  “I believe in what I see with my own eyes, Jacob. I’ve seen demons, I’ve seen angels, I’ve seen monsters. But I’ve never seen any proof of an all-loving god.”

  Jacob stood, continuing to stare at Luther. “Be careful, son. Your cynicism could get you killed one day.”

  “Kept me alive this long.” Luther put his sunglasses on and walked down the aisle towards the church’s exit.

  * * *

  Luther raised the tumbler to his lips and drained down the last of the Glenlivet. The scotch was so old that if it were a person, it would be right at the legal drinki
ng age. He set the glass down on the small table and looked to his right, staring out from the ninety-sixth floor of the John Hancock building’s Signature Lounge over the Chicago’s sparkling skyline. With the dim lighting, he didn’t have to worry about wearing his sunglasses in here and the view was magnificent.

  He pondered his next move from here. Whoever this Van Sloan character was, Luther was certain he would strike again. And as much as he hated to admit it, until that happened, there wasn’t much else he could do. He couldn’t help think Jacob had a point, maybe he was wasting his time with this case.

  “Care for some company?”

  The sultry voice drew Luther’s gaze from the skyline. The woman standing in front of his table had on a long, strapless red dress that hugged her curves perfectly. Her raven-colored hair was cropped close to her head and her deep brown eyes carried the risk of sucking in any man who stared into them. A slight smile played on her lips, which were colored with a shade that matched her dress.

  “Normally I’d say no. But you look like you left normal several exits back.” Luther held out a hand to the chair across from him. As the woman took her seat, Luther signaled to a waiter who approached. He held up his glass. “Another Glenlivet and for the lady…?”

  “I’ll have a Skyscraper,” she said.

  The waiter nodded and left them alone. The woman held her hand out across the table. “Celeste.”

  “Luther.” He took her hand and lightly brushed his lips on the skin.

  “So Luther, what is it you do?” She held up her hand. “Wait, let me guess. Judging by that suit, I’m guessing…stock broker?”

  “No.” Luther’s voice deepened as he spoke, smirking.

  “Some kind of executive then.”

  Luther gave a playful shake of his head. “Not even close.”

  Celeste set her elbow on the table and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”

  Luther leaned back in his chair. “I’m an…investigator of sorts.”

  Celeste’s head tilted to the side. “Of sorts?”

  The waiter interrupted to bring them their drinks. Luther stared intently at the orangish drink Celeste raised to her lips. “What’s in a Skyscraper anyway?”

  “Citrus rum, pineapple and cranberry juice. And yours?”

  “Scotch, neat. Twenty-one years old.”

  “Interesting choice. And expensive.”

  “I don’t drink any scotch that’s not at least old enough to enroll in middle school,” said Luther. “Besides, you don’t come to a place like this if you’re looking for bargain drink prices.”

  Celeste took a sip from her drink and set the glass on the table. “Before we got sidetracked, you said you were an investigator of sorts. What did you mean?”

  “I have a very specific area of expertise. One that enables me to charge top dollar for my services.” Luther brushed his free hand over his lapel and held up the scotch. “Hence the indulgences.”

  Celeste let out a quick laugh.

  “What about you?” Luther raised his glass for a sip.

  “I run my own business. I guess you could say I’m a consultant.”

  “You guess?”

  “I bring certain parties together for a mutually beneficial arrangement,” said Celeste.

  Luther could sense her staring at his eyes and she made no mention of them. Perhaps she didn’t want to pry or perhaps she didn’t think it unusual. Beneath the table, he felt her knees brush against his as she pulled her chair in closer.

  * * *

  The two had barely gotten inside Luther’s penthouse by the time their arms were all over each other. Celeste pinned Luther against the wall before he could close the door, her lips devouring his, her slender hands pressed against his face. Luther wrapped his strong arms around Celeste’s slim body, his fingers pushing into the flesh of her back while the other moved lower. Celeste’s expert lips moved from Luther’s to his cheek, leaving a trail up to his ear and nibbling on the cartilage with her teeth.

  Luther kicked the door shut and they moved from the foyer, neither able to keep their hands off the other. Celeste’s hands slid under Luther’s suit jacket, sliding it off his shoulders and her fingers fumbled with his tie. Luther allowed her to take the lead on disrobing and once they reached the couch, Celeste pushed him so he fell down on the black leather.

  She crawled over the armrest, brushing her chest against every part of her body as she moved from his legs up to his torso. Once Celeste reached him, she slid her hands behind his shoulders and kissed his neck, sucking on the flesh.

  Then she stopped.

  Something sharp pressed against the back of her neck and Celeste’s entire body stiffened. Her trembling lips were inches from Luther’s and her brown eyes stared into his, pleading.

  “Don’t play me for a fool, Celeste. I could smell you the instant you set foot into that bar…” said Luther, pausing before finishing with, “vampire.”

  “Look, it-it’s not what you think.”

  Luther held a dagger to the back of her neck, one he kept stashed under the couch. He flipped her over, his strength a shock for her and held the blade to her neck. Celeste stared down at the gleaming metal with fear and Luther’s eyes were filled with anger.

  “Silver’s a surprisingly versatile metal,” he said, confirming her fear. “Works not only against vampires but all manner of supernatural creatures.”

  “Please…” Her voice was soft. “Just let me explain.”

  “Talk fast, or I push this blade through your neck.”

  “I’m not a consultant, I’m the owner of Lifeline,” she said. “I know you’ve heard that name before.”

  Luther relaxed the blade just a bit, eyebrows raised. “So what, this is about Nina Bailey?”

  “Lifeline’s an escort service. All our girls are vampires. There are a lot of people who pay top dollar for the high that our services can provide. Being bitten by a vampire can be a very intense, erotic experience. Normally we don’t have any problems…” Her voice darkened. “But then that bastard killed Nina.”

  “Tell me why I should even care. What’s a dead vampire mean to me?” Luther didn’t mean the words he spoke, but he wanted to hear Celeste’s explanation. In a way, he was testing her.

  “We’re not evil, Luther. We’ve assimilated into society, found ways to manage our…condition,” said Celeste. “None of us chose this life. Some of us were born like this, others were turned against their will. Should we be sentenced to death just because we’re different?”

  Luther rose and set the blade on the coffee table. He sat in a chair perpendicular to the couch and reached for a cigar box resting on the glass table. Between puffs of the cigar as he lit it, he said, “Talk more.”

  Celeste sat up on the couch, rubbing her neck at the spots where Luther had the blade pressed. “Sangres told me about you, said you were a vice cop. I’ve got an arrangement with him, as well as the managers of several other high-priced hotels in the city.” She nodded towards the cigar box. “You mind?”

  Luther cast a look down at the box and then back to Celeste. He took a cigar out and passed it to her along with his lighter. Celeste sparked the cigar and settled into the couch, crossing her legs.

  “Sangres said you came to see him, but left just as quickly without asking any questions. I knew there was something strange about that, so when he told me your name, I started asking around.”

  Luther raised one foot and rested it on the opposite thigh. “What’d you find out?”

  “First off, that you’re not a vice cop, but that much was obvious,” said Celeste. “Paranormal investigator, right? Found your name a lot in relation to seances, exorcisms, that sort of thing. But also discovered you have another haunt. The Eden Club.”

  Luther paused when she let that name drop. After a moment of silence, he said, “How do you know about that?”

  “I’ve had dealings with Raziel in the past.”

  “S
o why come to me? Think I’m in league with this hunter?”

  Celeste shook her head as she exhaled the smoke through her nose. “If I did, I would’ve killed you the second I walked through that door.”

  Luther smirked. “You would’ve tried.”

  Celeste smiled. “Either way, the point is I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to hire you.”

  Luther let out a laugh that shook his torso. “Really? A vampire wants to hire a demon hunter? That’s a first.”

  “I work hard to provide a safe environment for my girls. Nina’s murder has them all spooked. A lot aren’t taking on appointments and I’m bleeding clients.” She cringed at the unintentional pun. “You know what I mean.”

  “Can you blame them?”

  “No. If I were in the same position, I’d be scared, too. That’s why I need your help. You’re someone who keeps the peace and hunters tend to disrupt that sort of thing. So I’m betting getting rid of him is in your best interests, too. What do you say?”

  Luther held the cigar to his mouth and puffed on the end, the tip glowing brightly. “I’ll have to think about it.”

  Celeste reached for her handbag and pulled out a business card. She laid it face-up on the table and stood. “Call me once you’ve made a decision. And thanks for the cigar.”

  “Thanks for picking up the tab at the bar.”

  Celeste moved closer to him and ran her fingers under Luther’s chin, rubbing his goatee. She bent down low enough to plant a soft kiss on his bald head. “Up until the daggers came out, it was a lovely evening. Hopefully we can do it again some time.”

  Celeste showed herself out. Once Luther heard the door to his penthouse close, he reached for the card. The chair reclined and he laid back, holding the card above his head as he continued to smoke the cigar.

  “So do I,” he muttered.

  * * *